Monday, February 02, 2015

Iraq snapshot

Monday, February 2, 2015. Chaos and violence continue, the UN releases their tolls for the dead and wounded in Iraq for January, Margaret Griffis offers real tolls, Dirk Adriaensens and BRussells Tribunal break the news that Iraq was the deadliest country for journalists in 2014, Haider al-Abadi and Nouri al-Maliki flap their gums, and much more.

Here
are those 17 reported cases of assassinated media professionals in
Iraq in 2014, making the country in 2014 again, as was the case in 2003,
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 and 2013, the deadliest place
on earth for media professionals:

17- Ali Rasham, 15 November 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)Martyrdom of journalist Ali Rasham, in Jurf Al Saqhar Battles in Babylon Province.16- Muhanad al-Akidi, 13 October 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)Iraqi Kurdish
journalist working for the Sada news agency, was killed Monday at the
Al-Ghazlani camp in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. Islamic State (IS)
militants on Monday evening executed an Iraqi-Kurdish journalist in
north-west Iraq.Muhannad Akidi was
shot in the head and killed by IS militants in Alghazlani camp, south
of Mosul, a representative of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) said
in a statement.Akidi was
kidnapped two months ago by IS in Mosul. He worked as a reporter for a
local news agency and presented programs on domestic television.Medical staff in
Mosul on Monday night were said to be preparing his body to be returned
to his family, according to the Abu Dhabi based Erem News.15- Ammar Amir Lattoufi, 12 October 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)Martyrdom of Al
Anbar TV satellite Channel photographer, Ammar Amir Lattoufi, while
accompanying Al Anbar commander of Police, General Ahmad Saddaq Al
Dulaimi, who was also martyred in an IED explosion north of Ramadi City.14- Raed Al-Azzawi, 10 October 2014 Islamic State
militants killed al-Azzawi, a cameraman for the local Sama Salaheddin
channel, six weeks after he was kidnapped, according to the station, news reports, and the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate.
Al-Azzawi was killed with his brother and two other residents of Samra
village, near Tikrit, the reports said. There were conflicting reports
on how he was killed. Family members said he was shot, according to Al-Jazeera, but other news reports cited an anonymous security source saying the victims were beheaded.The journalist was
kidnapped by Islamic State militants in early September 2014, the
director of the station, Marwan Naji Jabara, told CPJ. There were
conflicting reports on the exact date of his kidnapping.It is not clear
why Islamic State militants kidnapped and killed al-Azzawi. Jabara told
CPJ that al-Azzawi was accused of helping the Iraqi Air Force target
Islamic State positions, an allegation Jabara denied. Islamist militant
groups including the Islamic State have previously accused journalists of spying as an excuse or rationale for abducting them, according to CPJ research.CPJ has documented
numerous cases of Iraqi insurgents targeting journalists who have any
contact with government officials, including the security forces. Jabara
told CPJ that the channel's support of the Iraqi armed forces leads to
constant threats by insurgents, including the Islamic State group. After
insurgents took control of Tikrit in June 2014, Sama Salaheddin's
office was raided and its equipment looted, Jabara told CPJ.Al-Azzawi had also
previously worked in the media center for the governor of Salaheddin
province, according to news reports, and he may have been targeted for
that reason as well. Insurgents have previously targeted individuals
working for the government as press officers, according to CPJ research.It is also
possible al-Azzawi was kidnapped after criticizing the group. Jabara
told CPJ that some citizens in Samra were upset with Islamic State's
control over their village, especially as it drew bombing
from the Iraqi military. According to Jabara, al-Azzawi told his
friends that the militants, including one of his relatives who is a
senior leader in the group, should leave Samra to stop the bombing.13- Ali Ghazzay Al Miyyahi, 10 September 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)

Martyrdom of
Editorial Secretary and Union Member of Qutouf Newspaper, Ali Ghazzay Al
Miyyahi, with his wife in an IED explosion in New Baghdad District,
south east Baghdad.12- Fatimah Omar Abdul Kareem, 22 August 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)Martyrdom of Iraq’s Journalist Syndicate Member Fatimah Omar Abdul Kareem in and IED explosion in Central Baghdad.11- Leyla Yildizhan (Deniz Firat), 08 August 2014Yildizhan, a
Kurdish journalist who also goes by Deniz Firat, was killed when
shrapnel from a mortar shell hit her in the chest, according to news reports.
Yildizhan was covering the clashes in the Mukhmur district between
Kurdish forces and insurgents with the Islamic State, an Al-Qaeda
splinter group formerly known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham, the
Firat News Agency said.Firat, who was
from the Kurdish city of Van in eastern Turkey, was embedded with
Kurdish forces, according to Rahman Gharib, general coordinator for the
local press freedom group Metro Center to Defend Journalists, and news reports. She was reporting for the Firat News Agency, an outlet based outside Turkey pro-Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) station. She also reported for other several pro-Kurdish TV stations, including Sterk TV, Med NUÇE, andRonahi TV.Firat's body was sent back to her hometown in Çaldıran district of Van in Turkey for herfuneral, according to news reports.10- Khalid Ali Hamada, 15 June 2014 Hamada, cameraman
for Al-Ahad TV, was killed in an attack in northern Diyala province, the
Iraqi Journalists Syndicate and Iraqi news outlets reported. Moataz
Jamil, a correspondent for the station, was also injured in the attack.
Al-Ahad TV is affiliated with the Shia militant group League of the
Righteous, according to Phillip Smyth, a researcher at the University of Maryland who focuses on Shia Islamist groups.The station reported
that Hamada was killed as the crew reported on military operations in
Diyala province between what it called the "Islamic Resistance" and
"terrorists." CNN reported that Iraqi security forces, backed by Shia militias, clashed with suspected ISIS gunmen in Diyala that day.The deadly attack
came amid escalating clashes between the Iraqi government and its allies
against an insurgency spearheaded by Islamic State, an Al-Qaeda
splinter group formerly known as Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS).There were conflicting reports on how Hamada was killed, with some outlets reporting the journalists were hit by a mortar shell while others said gunmen drove up to them and opened fire with automatic weapons.Al-Ahad TV did not
provide details on the attack or an update on the health status of
Jamil, the wounded journalist. The station did not immediately respond
to CPJ's e-mailed request for more information.It was not clear
who was responsible for the attack or whether the journalists were
targeted specifically. Some Twitter accounts claiming to support ISIS
rejoiced at the news of the attack, declaring the "lions of Islamic
State" were responsible. CPJ was unable to verify the claims.9- Kamran Najm Ibrahim, June 2014. (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)Iraq has
consistently been among the most dangerous countries for journalists,
who are victims of threats and violence from security forces and armed
groups. However, the security situation has deteriorated considerably
since ISIS began a major offensive in June. Cameraman Khalid Ali of
Al-Ahad TV and freelance photographer Kamran Najm Ibrahim both lost
their lives in June while covering the fighting between pro-government
forces and militants in Diyala province and Kirkuk.8- Hammam Mohammed, 09 April 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)Photographer of
Altaghyir satellite TV channel, Hammam Mohammed was killed due to the
fall of an army cannon shell on his home in downtown Ramadi city capital
of Anbar province.7- Wathiq Al Ghathanfari, 27 March 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)Martyrdom of
television presenter in Mosul TV Satellite Station, Province Media
Director, Wathiq Al Ghathanfari, in an armed attack, east of Mosul.6- Mohamed Baidawi, 24 March 2014. (not reported by CPJ)Reporters Without Borders is dismayed to learn that Mohamed Baidawi, Radio Free Iraq’s Baghdad bureau chief, was shot dead in Baghdad on 22 March, while Radio Babel journalist Raji Hamadallah was badly injured in a shooting attack yesterday in Babil province.Baidawi was trying to enter
the high security “Green Zone” where the Radio Free Iraq’s office is
located when he got into an argument at a checkpoint with a member of
the presidential guard, who hit him several times and finally shot him
in the head.This well-known
journalist’s murder has shocked Iraqi media workers. The presidential
guardsman has been arrested and an investigation is under way to
determination the circumstances of the shooting. Reporters Without
Borders offers its condolences to the victim’s family and colleagues.Hamadallah was badly injured in a targeted shooting
yesterday outside his home in Qada Jalba, in Babil province, 90 km
south of Baghdad. Unidentified gunmen shot him several times before
fleeing.“We condemn the
repeated attacks on journalists in Iraq and we urge the competent
authorities to carry out independent and impartial investigations in
order to shed light on the circumstances and identify those
responsible,” said Lucie Morillon, head of research and advocacy at
Reporters Without Borders.5- Muthanna Abdel Hussein, 10 March 2014Abdel Hussein, a
cameraman for the state-run Al-Iraqiya TV station, was killed in a
suicide bombing at a police checkpoint in Iraq's Babil province,
according to news reports. The explosion killed dozens of Iraqis, including Khaled Abdel Thamer, another cameraman for the station.The blast
destroyed dozens of cars waiting to pass through the checkpoint,
trapping some victims in their burning vehicles. It is unclear if the
journalists were driving a vehicle or how near they were to the
checkpoint at the time of the explosion. There were conflicting reports
on the number of casualties, but a Reuters report
citing police and medical sources said that as many as 45 people were
killed and 157 injured. Abdel Hussein's mother told Reuters that she
identified her son by his socks and shoes.The Iraq Journalists Syndicate reported
that Abdel Hussein and Abdel Thamer were covering preparations for next
month's parliamentary elections. The elections would be the first since
American forces left the country in 2011 and would be held despite a
significant spike in violence across the country.No group
immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Iraqi officials
said they believed Al-Qaeda was responsible. Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the
explosion, according to news reports.4- Khaled Abdel Thamer, 10 March 2014 Abdel Thamer, a
cameraman for the state-run Al-Iraqiya TV station, was killed in a
suicide bombing at a police checkpoint in Iraq's Babil province,
according to news reports. The explosion killed dozens of Iraqis, including Muthanna Abdel Hussein, another cameraman for the station.The blast
destroyed dozens of cars waiting to pass through the checkpoint,
trapping some victims in their burning vehicles. It is unclear if the
journalists were driving a vehicle or how near they were to the
checkpoint at the time of the explosion. There were conflicting reports
on the number of casualties, but a Reuters report
citing police and medical sources said that as many as 45 people were
killed and 157 injured. Abdel Hussein's mother told Reuters that she
identified her son by his socks and shoes.The Iraq Journalists Syndicate reported
that Abdel Hussein and Abdel Thamer were covering preparations for next
month's parliamentary elections. The elections would be the first since
American forces left the country in 2011 and would be held despite a
significant spike in violence across the country.No group
immediately claimed responsibility f or the attack, but Iraqi officials
said they believed Al-Qaeda was responsible. Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki ordered the formation of a committee to investigate the
explosion, according to news reports.3- Thamir Mani'i Mohammed, 13 February 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)On the 13th February, martyrdom of Al Mustaqbal journalist Thamir Mani'i Mohammed, in an IED explosion in central Baghdad.2- Firas Mohammed Attiyah, 20 January 2014 (Not reported by RSF)Attiyah, a correspondent with the pro-government news station Fallujah TV, was killed when a bomb exploded at the side of the road in the city of Khalidiya, according to news reports.
At the time of the attack, the journalist was accompanying a government
patrol that was headed to a ceremony for the reopening of a police
station, according to the local Journalistic Freedoms Observatory and
other press freedom groups.The bomb also injured Anbar TV correspondent Muayad Ibrahim, the Iraqi Journalists Syndicate said.Attiyah had been
reporting on clashes between the Iraqi army and the Al-Qaeda affiliated
Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS) in Anbar province, according to
news reports. In late December, Sunni militants--some linked to
ISIS--launched an offensive against security forces in Anbar province,
taking at least partial control of both major cities in the province,
Ramadi and Fallujah.Fallujah TV, which was founded in part to counter Al-Qaeda's influence in the city, posted on Facebook a picture of the journalist's body draped in an Iraqi flag.1- Mohammed Ramadan al-Hadidi, 12 Januari 2014 (not reported by CPJ, not reported by RSF)Gunmen shot and killed a local television presenter outside his home in Mosul.Mohammed Ramadan
al-Hadidi, who hosted a show on herbal medicine on Nineveh al-Ghad TV,
was shot by unidentified gunmen as he left his house in the western part
of the city.A local journalist
told CNN that the journalists union received a text message Sunday
threatening to target journalists in Nineveh province. The message was
signed by al Qaeda-linked groups in the province.

In another
incident Sunday, an Iraqi journalist was wounded along with a driver
when a bomb attached to the car they were in detonated south of Mosul.
The journalist works for the city's Mosuliya TV channel.

Staying with the topic of violence, UNAMI issued the following on Sunday:

Baghdad, 1 February 2015 – According to casualty figures released
today by UNAMI, a total of 1,375 Iraqis were killed and another 2,240
were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in January*.

The number of civilians killed was 790 (Including 59 civilian
police), and the number of civilians injured was 1,469 (including 69
civilian police).A further 585 members of the Iraqi Army were killed and 771 were injured.Civilian Casualties (killed and injured) per governorateBaghdad was the worst affected Governorate with 1,014 civilian
casualties (256 killed, 758 injured). According to information obtained
by UNAMI from the Health Directorate in Anbar, up to 31 January
inclusive, the Governorate suffered a total of 779 civilian casualties
(195 killed and 584 injured). This includes 49 killed and 375 injured in
Ramadi and 146 killed and 209 injured in Fallujah. Diyala suffered a
total of 114 killed and 49 injured; Salahuddin 100 killed and 52
injured; Ninewa 85 killed and 12 injured; and Kirkuk 14 killed and 6
injured.*CAVEATS: In general, UNAMI has been hindered in effectively
verifying casualties in conflict areas. Figures for casualties from
Anbar Governorate are provided by the Health Directorate and are noted
below. In some cases, UNAMI could only partially verify certain
incidents. UNAMI has also received, without being able to verify,
reports of large numbers of casualties along with unknown numbers of
persons who have died from secondary effects of violence after having
fled their homes due to exposure to the elements, lack of water, food,
medicines and health care. For these reasons, the figures reported have
to be considered as the absolute minimum.

Al Jazeera noted of it:Iraq's prime minister has fired a warning at government and militia fighters who operate beyond the law.Speaking at a security summit in Baghdad, Haider al-Abbadi said
criminals and outlaws responsible for kidnappings and killings were no
less dangerous than what he called terrorists.

"Let
everyone hear me - those are outlaws by the consensus of all Iraqi
society. They do not represent the popular mobilisation forces, nor the
security forces or even Iraqis," Abadi said."Those are criminals and outlaws. They came with their agenda to entrap Iraqis."I have said it before and will say it today - those who were
conducting killings and kidnapping crimes in Baghdad and other cities
are no less dangerous than terrorists."

Haider al-Abadi did not say anyone would be arrested, did not assert that anyone would be punished. He just noted the investigation and that this behavior (the massacre) is not helpful and is as destructive as terrorism.

The Reuters report notes that the Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani endorses an investigation and that is new and news worthy. But Haider just flapped his gums.

He flapped his gumbs because, as a State Dept friend said on the phone tonight, Democrats in the Senate are in a panic over Human Rights Watch's report on Iraq in their [PDF format warning] 25th annual World Report.

In November of 2013, Barack came dangerously close to the Senate cutting off his flow of weapons to Iraq because they were concerned that the weapons were being used on the Iraqi people by thug Nouri al-Maliki.

Barack strong armed to get his way.

Now he's not just trying to continue the flood of weapons into Iraq -- with a new prime minister, Haider -- he's also trying to get authorization for US ground troops in Iraq, to keep critics of his 'plan' for Iraq at bay and much more.

Sunni politicians and tribal chiefs from Iraq's eastern
Diyala province accused Shi'ite militias on Monday of killing more than
70 unarmed civilians who had fled clashes with Islamic State of Iraq and
Levant (ISIL) militants.

So the White House that can't or won't use their power to force Haider to put through a more inclusive government did use their power to inform Haider he had to make some remarks the White House could use to calm Congressional Dems.

But that's not how it worked in 2006 when Bully Boy Bush insisted Nouri be named prime minister. Or in 20102 when Barack had US officials negotiate The Erbil Agreement to give Nouri a second term when he couldn't get the post through honest (and Constitutional) means.

We may go into more of Nouri's lies from the interview tomorrow, we may not.

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For now, we'll note that Vivian Salama (AP) reported this morning on the Kurds "tenuous hold" on areas surrounding Mount Sinjar like
Snuny, "The Kurds retook Snuny from the Sunni militants last month, but a
weeks-old battle has reached a point of stalemate on the other side of
the mountain for militant-held Sinjar. To the southeast, the oil-rich
city of Kirkuk remains at risk of falling to the Islamic State group."

Iraqi National Guard units will be formed
within six months, Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi pledged on Saturday at
an interfaith dialogue conference in Baghdad.“The government is committed to forming a National Guard force within
6 months,” the prime minister said, highlighting the importance of the
fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) “gang”.

About Me

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